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Ice Raiders & Phantoms

GFHA Youth Hockey Current / Archives, as of 02/19/13:

Aaron said, "I want to skate but I don't know how." A lot of people tend to forget about all of the kids who are currently being physically challenged because of an injury or one of many other medical conditions. We don't. Because of our honorary captain, we're in the planning stages of adding gold medal winning sled hockey to our association for all of the kids who want to play and enjoy the greatest game on earth but think they might not be able to because of their current medical condition. Let nothing stop a kid from particicpating. USA Hockey doesn't and neither do we. Just ask all of the players from our World Champion USA Hockey National Sled Team. We only see a kid who wants to play, have fun, be a part of being on a team, and possibly one day help Team USA win another World title. And we're here to help make that happen. If you want to participate, contact Mick Carroll at (810) 655-8016, (810) 210-7811, or mickcam@aol.com.

Age 8 And Under Hockey & Learn To Skate Programs

With the return of mite hockey (8 and under) this fall, we're still going to offer ADM for 8 and Under (5 to 8 year-olds) along with Learn-To-Skate. ADM is an excellent program for those who want to play and develope skills at their own pace in a non-competitive environment. We would encourage those who want to play mites to also use our ADM program as a low cost option to advance player skills at a quicker pace. Our ADM and Learn-To-Skate are Saturdays and Sundays. For more info, please contact Kevin Brackett kvbrackett0159@aol.com or Mick Carroll mickcam@aol.com.

GFHA put on a strong showing in the Districts, as all teams entered made it to the Championship game in their perspective divisions. Only one team, the Midget BB Ice Raiders, advanced to the State play-offs. The other three put in hard fought games... the '98 Phantoms lost 4-3 in OT, the '99 Phantoms lost 2-1, and the Pee Wee B Ice Raiders lost 4-1 to finish runner-ups in their divisions. Congratulations to all!!

'98 Phantoms Rock, Win The 2012 Chicago Cup

The '98 GFHA Flint Phantoms blew into the windy city with a mission in mind, win the Chicago Cup. And they did just that as they went to sweet home Chicago, and came back to Flint as Champions. The Phantoms opened up the tournament with a loss to the Kirkwood Stars from Missouri, 2-0. After that loss, the Phantoms got down to business, winning the next game against the Chicago Blues, 2-1, and then following with wins over the Indianaplois Racers (7-2), and the Hyland Hills Jaguars (3-2). The championship featured a rematch with the Kirkwood Stars, and this time, the Phantoms returned the favor, winninig 2-0. Congratulations, Phantoms, on representing our association proudly!!!

GFHA Pee Wee Ice Raiders Win The 2011 Motown Cup

The GFHA Ice Raiders went 4-0-0 in the annual Thanksgiving Tournament at Kensington Valley Ice House to win the 2011 Motown Cup. The Ice Raiders opened up the tourney by beating the Thornhill Rebels from Toronto, 5-0. The Ice Raiders then defeated the Livingston Lightning, 6-1, and the Kensington Valley Admirals, 10-2, to set up a rematch with the Lightning for the championship. In the final game, the Ice Raiders were tested early but opened up a 3-0 lead after the first period and never looked back, defeating the Lightning, 7-2, to win the championship. The offensive was lead by Michael Chapman, Garrett Lesser, and Jon Nelson who netted 6 goals each. Michael Chynoweth added 8 assists, Lesser had 5, Cameron Lieffers and Alec Copeland had 4 each. Also scoring were Donovan Ayotte (2G, 1A), Aidan Flick (1G, 3A), Drew Hobson (3G, 1A), Jacob Strickland (2G, 1A), Wyatt Smith and Shane Reinig each with 3 assists. The victory marked a total defensive team effort, allowing only 5 goals over the weekend. Nelson, Reinig, Chynoweth, and Lieffers anchored the blue line while Andrew Braum and Kyle Carpenter each netted two victories in goal. The Ice Raiders are now 12-0-1 on the season.

Ice Raiders Visit USA Hockey

On Friday night, March 25th, 2011, several Ice Raider players and parents visited USA Hockey in Ann Arbor. They got treated to a tour of the facility, a game featuring the U/18 National Team, and a meet and greet plus autographs with the U/18 players after the game. Thanks to U/18 Coach Ron Rolston for making this a memorable experience. In the picture below, Ryan from our ADM Team USA Ice Raiders prgram is getting advice from Robbie Russo, now a New York Islander. To view more pictures, click here.

Ice Raiders at the Ice Cube prior to the USA Hockey visit / game

Ice Raiders Lose A Heartbreaker In Bid For Midget BB State Title

They left everything they had on the ice, as they fought tooth and nail with every ounce of energy their bodies could deliver. A whole game plus two overtimes worth. Unfortunately, it took just a chance throw back shot towards a crowded net to end their great season and a run at the state title. I'm talking about the mighty GFHA Midget BB Ice Raiders. Yes, mighty. The grittiest group of warriors ever assembled but yet the nicest group of young men you'll ever meet.

About the game, a heartbreaker is probably an understatement. Both teams came out of the gate flying. This was about to be a game. The Ice Raiders, 21-5-0, tallied the first goal but the Southgate Capitals, 41-9-0, scored the next two goals to take a 2-1 lead into the 2nd period. The Capitals were knocking on the door to score more, as the Ice Raiders found themselves skating shorthanded through long stretches towards the end of the 1st period and in the 2nd period. But the Ice Raiders stood tall, killing off penalty after penalty, to deny the Capitals. The Ice Raiders then scored the next two goals to take a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period before the Capitals managed to score one more to tie it at 3. The last 7 minutes of regulation was a nail biter, as both teams challenged but were afraid to make that critical mistake that could cost them. Overtime was about to happen. In the first overtime, the Ice Raiders had two golden opportunities to end it... a 2 on 1 odd man rush and a 3 on 0 that was broken up at the very last second by a trailing Capitals player. In the 2nd overtime, a play down low by the Capitals that produced a loose puck in front of a crowded net, and the Ice Raiders season was about to end. A Southgate player took control of the loose puck, skated out a few feet, quickly turned towards the net and shot the puck into a heavily screened Ice Raiders goalie. It wasn't a blaster, just an on-ice shot that found its way through several skates and into the net. It was over just that quick. An extremely hard fought, 4-3 loss. A bitter pill to swallow but these mighty warriors have successfully competed at the highest levels all their lives. And they will continue to do so.

There never is, but if there's any consulation, the Ice Raiders lost to the about to be 2011 state champs. Southgate went on to beat Marquette, the 2010 and now 2011 state runnerups, in the championship game, 5-3. The Ice Raiders were ever so close to being there.

Seasonal stats for the Ice Raiders... they finished 21-5-0, scoring 200 goals while allowing 66. They were 3-0-0 in the districts, scoring 21 goals while allowing just 1. They were 3-1-0 in the states, scoring 32 goals while allowing 13. They finished 3rd in the state. Congrats to the Mighty Midget BB Ice Raiders on a great and memorable season!!!

ADM Ice Raiders Visit USA Hockey

Few players ever make the grade to be in this locker room. The players who do have an excellent chance of making it to the NHL. Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Jack Johnson, RJ Umberger, Ryan Suter, and Jimmy Howard used to be here on a daily basis. Saturday night it was our ADM Ice Raiders turn. The small but mighty group got a first hand look inside USA Hockey's NTDP in Ann Arbor and what makes our National Teams the best in the world. They were treated to a complete tour and a USHL game featuring USA Hockey's Under 17 National Team vs. Chicago Steel. USA Hockey won, 4-0.

GFHA was represented very well this past weekend in the district championships at Ice Mountain.
Our Midget BB team wrapped up the action on Sunday night with a hard fought win over a very stubborn Midland team, 2-0. The team, now 16-2-0, went 3-0-0 , scoring 21 goals while allowing only 1 in winning the Midget BB title. They're off to Grand Rapids in March for the states.
Our Midget A team beat Port Huron in a pair of games, 5-3 and 5-4, to win their district title on Saturday. They now travel to Lansing in March for the states.
Our '98s played a very tough Midland team in their championship game on Sunday and came out a little flat, as Midland won, 7-1. Their previous meeting in the preliminaries was much closer, as Midland won, 3-2. Our '99s lost their semi-final game against Saginaw, 2-0. They had beaten Saginaw in the preliminaries, 4-2.
Congratulations to all for a great showing in the districts.

Boo In The Soo Champs Are Becoming A Scary Bunch To Face Cause They Got The Train A Rollin'

2010 Back To School Championship Finalist!!!

'98 Phantoms Off To A Flying Start

The Flint Phantoms PeeWee AA Hockey Club played in the Back To School Classic hockey tournament in the Downriver area of Detroit against 13 teams from Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana on September 24-26. The team won their first four games to make it to the Championship game. They came up short in the finals but played great hockey all weekend to make it to the finals. Congratulations to all of the players, coaches, and parents for a job well done.

'98 Phantoms Capture Seven Brigdes Chicago Cup

The '98 Flint Phantoms Pee Wee AA team rolled into Chicago, Illinois on May 21st and left "Sweet Home" Chicago on May 23rd with the Seven Bridges Chicago Cup Championship. The Phantoms went 3-0-1 in the round robin preliminaries to advance to the championship game. In the championship game, the Phantoms trailed throughout most of the contest until scoring the go-ahead goal with just over a minute to go. Teams in the tournament were from the Chicago area, Northwest Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. The Phantoms' Gary Wildey was voted tournament MVP for his outstanding efforts throughout the weekend, especially in the championship game.

Squirt B Team 1 Ice Raiders Win 2010 Becker Cup

Coach Tom Hutching's Squirt B Team defeated Ice Mountain, 5-3, to win the 2010 Becker Cup. The kids, riding high after defeating the Detroit Dragons, 3-1, in the semi-finals, rode the wave into the championship game. They led Ice Mountain from the start and never let up. After a frustrating start to the season, the kids turned it around in the second half and proved themselves as a team to be reckoned with.

'95 Phantoms Win LCAHL Norris Division Championship

The '95 Flint Phantoms concluded a very successful run in the LCAHL playoffs by upending the Suburban Stars, 2-0, to win the Bantam AA Norris Division Championship. The Phantoms finished 6-1-0 in the playoffs, outscoring their opponents 25-10.

After the dust settled on a long weekend of championship caliber battles, the 1995 Flint Phantoms skated away with a district title, winning the 2010 District 5 Bantam AA Championship. The 1998 Flint Phantoms and GFHA Pee Wee Bs both earned runner-up honors in their quest for a district title and the '99 Phantoms made it to the semi-finals.

The 2010 Pee Wee B District 5 Runner-Ups, the GFHA Ice Raiders

Flint Phantoms Win Pee Wee "A" Championship

On May 16 - 17, GHHA's Flint Phantoms Pee Wee A Travel Team won a tournament in Fraser, Michigan by defeating teams from Port Huron, Fraser, and Washtenaw. The team went undefeated in the tournament including erasing a 3 goal deficit in the championship game, winning 4 to 3 against the host team Fraser Falcons. Congratulations Champs!

"A Goalies Job is Hard Work!"

Goalies work hard at practice, want their teammates to believe in them, take losses really hard, and sometimes they feel isolated because of the position they're playing. Goalies rarely take credit for playing really well but they're quick to take the blame when things aren't going so great. Let your goalies know you appreciate them.

WE"RE A PROGRAM OF HIGH ACHIEVERS...

The Ice Raiders and Phantoms Best Of The Best
The following is a list of players who've went up and beyond in the classroom to earn scholastic recognition by being placed on their school's Honor Rolls and thus being placed on our honor roll:

Congratulations on your achievements, not only on the ice but in the classroom, too!

Age 8 And Under Hockey & Learn To Skate Programs
With the return of mite hockey (8 and under) this fall, we're still going to offer ADM for 8 and Under (5 to 8 year-olds) along with Learn-To-Skate. ADM is an excellent program for those who want to play and develope skills at their own pace in a non-competitive environment. We would encourage those who want to play mites to also use our ADM program as a low cost option to advance player skills at a quicker pace. Our ADM and Learn-To-Skate are Saturdays and Sundays. For more info, please contact Kevin Brackett kvbrackett0159@aol.com or Mick Carroll mickcam@aol.com .